Over the past two decades, direct reduction of iron from iron ore or pelletized iron oxides has become an important process for producing what is commonly termed sponge iron. This product is used in steelmaking furnaces such as electric arc furnaces without the necessity of utilizing blast furnaces which require high capital expenditures. Direct reduction processes as practiced today utilize a procedure known as "reforming" of reducing gas from carbonaceous material. Reforming constitutes the conversion of natural gas or other carbonaceous material into carbon monoxide and hydrogen, both of which are well known reductants or reducing agents. Reforming of reducing gas can be accomplished in stoichiometric reformers as disclosed in Beggs et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,123, or by steam reforming as disclosed in Celada et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,201.